London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- History -- 16th century -- Sources; London (England) -- Surveys
The chief ornaments on Cornhill ward are these: first, at the east
end thereof, in the middle of the high street, and at the parting
of four ways, have ye a water standard, placed in the year 1582, in
manner following. A certain German, named Peter Morris, having made an
artificial forcier for that purpose, conveyed Thames water in pipes of
lead over the steeple of St. Magnus church, at the north end of London
Bridge, and from thence into divers men’s houses in Thames street, New
Fish street, and Grasse street, up to the north-west corner of Leaden
hall, the highest ground of all the city, where the waste of the main
pipe rising into this standard, provided at the charges of the city,
with four spouts did at every tide run (according to covenant) four
ways, plentifully serving to the commodity of the inhabitants near
adjoining in their houses, and also cleansed the channels of the street
towards Bishopsgate, Aldgate, the bridge, and the Stockes’ market. But
now no such matter, through whose default I know not.[160]
Then have ye a fair conduit of sweet water, castellated in the middest
of that ward and street. This conduit was first built of stone in
the year 1282, by Henry Walles, mayor of London, to be a prison for
night-walkers, and other suspicious persons, and was called the Tun
upon Cornehill, because the same was built somewhat in fashion of a tun
standing on the one end.
To this prison the night watches of this city committed not only night
walkers, but also other persons, as well spiritual as temporal, whom
they suspected of incontinence, and punished them according to the
customs of this city; but complaint thereof being made, about the year
of Christ 1297, King Edward I. writeth to his citizens thus:--
“Edward, by the grace of God, etc. Whereas Richard Gravesend, bishop of
London, hath showed unto us, that by the Great Charter of England, the
Church hath a privilege, that no clerk should be imprisoned by a lay
man without our command, and breach of peace, which notwithstanding
some citizens of London, upon mere spite, do enter in their watches into
clerks’ chambers, and like felons carry them to the Tun, which Henry le
Walleys, sometime mayor, built for night walkers; wherefore we will that
this our commandment be proclaimed in full hustings, and that no watch
hereafter enter into any clerk’s chamber, under the forfeit of twenty
pounds. Dated at Carlisle the 18th of March, the 25th of our reign.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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